Tell me what you see
by Norwegian-Pirate
Summary: Bodyswap!fic. Tony gets a crash course in just what it takes to be Bruce Banner.
1. Chapter 1

Originally written for a prompt over at avengerkink and is dedicated to the OP and my wonderful beta who put up with all my mistakes (Note: The first chapter and some of the second is not proof-read, so please bear with me here...)

Prompt can be found here: (remember to remove the spaces)  
avengerkink . livejournal . ?thread = 11178661#t11178661

* * *

Tony was flying between the buildings of Manhattan, carefully avoiding the colourful blasts Villain of the Week was shooting at him. He wondered briefly where Clint and Thor had gone, because he sure as hell needed some help right now.

The villain chasing him, some sort of creepy voodoo lady who seemed far too grunge to be messing with old magic, let out a mad cackle as she propelled through the air. Her magic seemed to be fuelled by the silly stick she was waving around like it was a fucking Wii-controller and though she wasn't powerful, her wild aim and seemingly random shots and spell might cause some actual damage and Tony didn't want to be there when that happened. Because it definitely would the way things were going now. And he also definitely needed backup and fast.

"I know I said I wasn't a team-player, but this is getting ridiculous," He said over the intercom, "Cap, where are you guys?"

"We're not far from you. Take the next right and then – "Steve's voice was cut off as Tony had to make a sudden duck as a spell clipped his shoulder.

"Cap, can you repeat that, I was a little busy being target-practice," Tony turned right at the next street corner, slowing slightly down for further instructions. The intercom was silent, except some noise in the background.

"Cap? Ah, fuck!" he dodged another shot from the witch and twisted around in the air, aiming his repulsors at her at the same time she was firing a particularly nasty one at him. At least it looked nasty, all sickening red and green mashed together. He shot his repulsors, making pure energy clash with the spell. The sheer force of it sent him flying sideways, into one of the many skyscrapers in the city.

The witch cackled, raising her magic stick again to send another spell at him. She stops in her tracks however when there's a loud roar echoing through the streets, quickly followed by a green blur which slams her into the skyscraper opposite the one Tony's staggering out off.

"'Bout time, Big Green; I was worried I had to take her all by myself and get all the credit again. You know what does to my ego," he said as Hulk landed beside him with a loud thump. Hulk snorted at this, but quickly stilled as a screech pierced the air, sending goosebumps all over his arms and back.

"You will pay!" She shouted, her previous mood having done a complete turnabout, which meant she was now raging and angry and radiating power much stronger than before. She's practically glowing and she looks – _terrifying, but at the same time really hot. A bit like Natasha actually, except that this girl is more of a 6, while Tasha is a 9, bordering onto 10._

The witch screams again, but this time with an undertone of something ancient, like she's possessed. She begins chanting and beside him, Hulk stiffens and is about to jump into action just before a wall of colour is hurled their way.

"Son of a bi-," is all Tony manages to say before both he and Hulk is hit and for a second he struggles to breathe before everything fades to black and green and he can't help but think, _W__ell, that's strange_, as he's dragged down into the deep pits of unconsciousness.

* * *

When Tony came to it was like the world halted for a brief second. His lung filled with cold air and as he opened his eyes he was blinded by the white, surgical lights hanging from the ceiling. His mind was sluggish as he lay staring on the lights above him and his mind barely registered that he was laying down and it was the slow rocking of turbulence that had woke him up. Then the moment was broken and the soreness and cold set in. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, carefully avoiding to jostle his bruised limbs as he sat up. After a mental onceover he was pleased to note that nothing was broken, just incredibly beat. With that confirmed he pried open his eyes and he was surprised to discover that he was lying on the cold floor, trapped within Hulk's cage in the Hellcarrier.

"You're awake," Someone said to his right, startling him so much that his neck cracked as his head wiped around. Natasha stood there along with Thor, who looked at him with a big smile on his yeah.

"Yeah," he crooked, rubbing his eyes, trying to clear his vision which seemed to be slightly blurred.

"That was quite the battle, my friend! I'm glad to see you are well," Thor boomed, making Tony wince slightly, but smiled at his friend none the less, glad that he had people like his team who cared... But why they had put him in the cage was still a mystery to him, but seemed like some kind of practical joke Barton would pull, not Natasha or Thor.

"What am I –"he coughed, trying to clear his throat, "What am I doing he – what the actual fuck?" His voice sounded strange to his ears and what he had previously pegged for morning grogginess was in fact his voice. As he came to this realisation his mind went into overdrive, puzzling the pieces together, completely ignoring the strange looks he was getting from Natasha and Thor.

He lifted his hands to his face and noticed for the first time how big they were compared to his usual ones. There were scars and blemishes from years of working with machinery and chemicals, much like his own, but they were all wrong at the same time.

He swallowed the bile rising in his throat as he realised that they were somewhat familiar all the same.

Suddenly very aware of his body and how foreign it felt to him he stood up on shaky legs, taking a deep breath to steady is erratic heartbeat. He managed to reach the glass which enclosed him into the small space, right in front of Natasha who looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Let me out," Tony told her, his voice nothing more than a whisper.

"I can't do that," She told him, "I do not have the authority nor the knowledge of how,"

"Please," It wasn't often he begged, but the situation required somewhat drastic measures.

"Bruce, you know I can't,"

And it was like the world stopped again, though this time it was like his heart stopped as well. Fear filled him as he caught a glimpse of himself reflected in the smooth surface and suddenly he was all too aware of the thing inside of him as it roared in fury.

"_LET ME OUT!"_

It wasn't a shout nor a scream but an inhuman roar, nothing like he'd ever heard coming from himself before, but from someone else entirely.

_The Hulk. _

Pain swept over him and he felt muscle and bone tear as he shifted and grew bigger, which only worsened the pain and his own, blind panic.

Bruce had tried to explain him the process of transforming once, but had struggled and ended up saying that it depended on the situation. Of course, this had intrigued Tony and as he always did, he'd pushed.

_"Does it hurt?" _

_"Yes. Yes, it hurts very much," _

The Hulk roared again and Tony felt himself losing control, like he was pushed back into his own mind and smothered. He fought, but the pressure only worsened and he could no longer focus on the world or people around him.

The last thing he was aware of was a familiar voice calling out to him;

_"TONY!"_

Then the Hulk took over.

It was like watching a broken film. Only bits and pieces were shown and they flickered on and off at random, not gaining any structure as it continued on, feeling like forever. Tony didn't like it. Not that he was entirely aware or sure of what was really happening, but he would get fragments, like a terrified face, a gunshot, someone yelling; and it only fuelled the Hulk's rage which was like a pulsing hot pressure against his temples.

The Hulk, which had been a steady presence in his mind since he'd woken up the first time, didn't stop to yell at him in the closure of their minds, which was clashing badly as Hulk kept control of their body. Tony did never really know what the Other Guy yelled at him about, but as he was confided into the back of his own mind, panic and anxiety took deep root in his heart as Hulk kept shouting and he could do nothing except yell back. Though he couldn't even really do that either, as it fell on deaf ears.

"_SHUT UP!" _he screamed, but it was drowned out by the voice of the Hulk as well as other voices, unfriendly voices, and unlike the Hulk's, he was able to distinguish their words.

"_YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A FREAK AND A MONSTER!"_

_"DON'T LET HIM CATCH YOU,"_

_"I LOVE YOU..."_

* * *

"Tony, can you hear me?"

Tony groaned as he slipped out of unconsciousness for the second time that day. His head was pounding and he hurt absolutely _ieverywhere/i_. Unlike most time when you're knocked unconscious or your body is taken over by a green rage monster, he remembered everything, because how could he not? It had been so vivid and utterly terrifying that it would be hard to forget.

"Tony, take a deep breath, that's right. Just remember to breathe,"

He also realised that he was hyperventilating and did as the familiar voice told him, by taking deep breaths which rattled his ribs. As he calmed down enough, he looked up from where he was lying on a bed – not in the cage again, which Tony was grateful for, and was faced with the most disturbing image so far this day. Though he'd admit, he was a handsome fucker, it did not stop him from letting out a small squeak of surprise.

"Shh," his doppelganger said, "just stay calm. I know it's difficult, but I think that the Other Guy has had his moment of glory enough for today, don't you think?"

Tony huffed in agreement, trying to remember how to breathe properly as his pulse slowed down into an acceptable pace. As he composed himself, he slipped another look at his doppelganger, who was fiddling with a phone, obviously texting. The first thing he noticed was the arc reactor, which stood out like a sore thumb in his chest and he wondered why no one had ever told him that it was that exposed before. He'd obviously had to do something about that and his brain was already running high-speed on how to easily conceal the reactor in case someone like Obadiah thought it was a fine idea to take it again.

"It feels strange," his doppelganger said. Tony was not sure whether he'd caught him staring at the arc reactor and was referring to that or this whole situation.

"I know," was all he said in return, as he watched his body putting the phone away and begin pacing.

"That was quite the show though, with the Hulk. Never thought I would get to see the Other Guy from any other perspective than my own..." The doppelganger, who displayed traits so essentially _Bruce_, hesitated and Tony watched as his own body shift uncomfortably from where he was standing by the bed Tony was currently lying on.

After a moment Bruce whispered, "It was terrifying. _He_was terrifying. Why haven't you left yet?"

Tony watched as his friend crumbled and he sat up in bed, pushing down his own discomfort as he tightly gripped his own hands in Banner's. Or the opposite – whatever.

"If that is what you think, I'd prefer if you kept your thoughts to yourself, because none of us has even considered leaving you, alright? You're a part of the team and the Big Guy as well. Though I can't say I enjoy his presence at the moment, he and you are just as valuable as everybody else,"

"But he was so _angry _and _destructive_–"

"And what, a guy's no allowed to vent from time to time? Besides, he's obviously is upset about your absence. You should hear him; it's quite the racket in here,"

And it was. In fact, it was awful and Tony didn't know how Bruce had managed to stay sane for so long. The constant in his head which was the Hulk was either deep-frying his senses or drowning out every other sound by his loud roaring and thrashing. Now he really knew what Bruce meant when he'd told Steve that he was always angry. Turning into the Hulk was like a switch, all you had to do was flip it and suddenly all this anger would turn into a great destructive force. It was painful as well, and Tony recalled the feeling of muscles tearing and bones breaking, only to be reset again. It hurt very much.

"...Tony?" His own voice interrupted his thoughts and Tony's gaze snapped up, locking with his own dark, concerned eyes.

"Yeah," he said, before coughing, noticing for the first time that his throat was parched. He was grateful when Bruce offered him a glass of water, though he did notice that his friend seemed quick to draw back into himself. The sight of him, Tony Stark, acting like a tentative and shy child, as opposed to his usual self, was nothing short of strange.

Bruce began talking again, "You were just out of it for a second. I wondered where you'd gone off to," Though his tone was light, Tony knew exactly what Bruce was referring to.

"I'm fine. I just need to know what caused... this," he said, gesturing between the two of them. Once again, he noticed Bruce squirm uncomfortably.

"I don't know yet. I was told to watch over you until you woke up. I'm not even sure if they even suspect anything, I haven't told them."

Tony nodded, appreciating that Bruce wanted to wait telling someone before he'd woken up, even if he knew that would be the smart thing to do.

"Alright, I'm sure –," Tony paused as the door to the small room they were staying in opened with a i_swooshi_and he exchanged a wary look with Bruce before Nick Fury stepped inside, closely followed by Natasha and Thor.

As usual, Fury cuts right to the chase, "Alright, I want to know what the fuck happened to the two of you,"

There was an awkward silence in the room as all eyes focused on Tony, who was actually Bruce, waiting for him to tell some sort of exaggerated tale of how both him and Bruce, who was actually Tony, fought off the Bitch of everything magical and got knocked out in the process.

Bruce remained silent however and only squirmed uncomfortably under all the scrutinizing looks he was getting. Though Tony felt sorry for him, he knew that speaking up would only cause more suspicion and they definitely didn't need that sort of attention right now.

After a while Fury said, "Fine, if you don't want to talk, then don't, but I won't let you leave here before I'm given some sort of explanation as to why the fuck Banner hulked out without a reason or why you, Stark, ran away from the medical wing like a fucking madman,"

He gave Bruce and Tony a hard look – Well, as hard as he could with one eye, Tony supposed – before turning to Natasha and Thor, who'd been hanging back a little as Fury spoke.

"I'm expecting a report on my desk by the end of the day, am I clear?" The words were barely audible, but Tony knew what he'd heard and flinched slightly. If it was Natasha who was to interrogate them, the chances of keeping their _situation _a secret had practically disintegrated.

Tony felt eyes burn into the back of his neck and knew that Bruce knew that as well.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to Adellin_Cabbie for being a wonderful and supportive beta!

* * *

Bruce watched warily as Fury exited the room; leaving both the assassin and the thunder-god behind with both himself and Tony - the same Tony who was currently struggling with his bed sheet as if it was a straight-jacket.

The room was completely silent except for Tony's frantic rustling, and Bruce briefly wondered if the Other Guy could be brought forth by linen, or, if rather, the Other Guy found the particular predicament entertaining. Bruce's attention snapped back to the situation at hand when Natasha started to slowly approach Tony and himself.

She was eyeing them, and Bruce, well aware of her skills as a master interrogator, tried to remain as casual and as relaxed as he possibly could in the foreign skin he was currently trapped in. Tony had gone still beside him, and Bruce twitched slightly in apprehension, fearing that the unusual silence between the pair of scientists would increase the suspicion already cultivating within Natasha's mind.

It was, however, Thor who broke the tension, "My friends," He said, "We are only concerned for your well-being. Keeping us in the dark like this will only do more harm than good."

It was not the words themselves that shook Bruce's resolve. Though wise, they were nothing in comparison to the puppy eyes Thor was sending their way, and he heard Tony groan quietly from where he was sitting on the bed in, what was likely, defeat.

It was hard to say "no" to Thor during most circumstances anyway, simply due to his often childish nature and innocence. However, this time Bruce wasn't so sure if it was wise to tell the rest of the Avengers about their current situation.

It would more than likely send Tony back into the Hulk cage, and Bruce himself into some sort of testing facility while the others would go on a literal witch-hunt. In which they, most probably, would turn up empty handed.

Witches were tricky to find, especially when they did not want to be found, and that meant that it was possible that he and Tony would be locked away for a very long time.

Bruce knew what it was like, and he didn't want his best friend to go through the same.

"I..." Bruce started before the sentence caught in his throat, choking him upon hearing Tony's voice escaping rather than his own.

He coughed, using the opportunity to exchange a look with his friend – or himself, who was actually Tony – and boy was this freakishly confusing; who looked more uncomfortable than Bruce had ever seen him be before.

"Yes, Stark?" Natasha urged, trying to catch onto anything that might give her a hint into their situation; anything that might give them away.

Bruce took a deep breath, ready to deny everything, when Tony cut right in without, it seemed, his usual confidence. However, that might be a result of Bruce's own vocal cords, and Bruce had often been told by others that he was too soft-spoken, his voice too meek and without any real authority and strength... Bruce had never been one to believe in wild accusations like that though and thought nothing more of it as he listened as Tony spoke.

"It's kind of hard to explain... It's like Freaky Friday freaky, only freakier and with less embarrassment on Lindsay Lohan's part, and, of course, less Lindsay Lohan, which I suppose is a good thing; I don't think Cap's faith in humanity can take a blow like that,"

At the admission, a stunned look had flitted across Natasha's features so quickly that Bruce hadn't been sure whether he had imagined it or not.

In the time they had known each other, he had never seen the assassin really display any kind of surprise or shock. She always seemed so unfazed by everything happening around her; no matter how surreal or ridiculous the stimulus was, that when she let her mask slips even just a little, she looked like a vulnerable child, so innocent and exposed to the rest of the world. Then the cold walls were up again and Bruce when he realised that he had lost track of his thoughts and hadn't been paying attention to any of the people around him.

Natasha and Tony seemed to be having a non-verbal fight; although it was hard to tell. However judging from their rapidly hardening eyes, Bruce supposed it was just as well that they had kept the hostility to a minimum.

As Thor seemed to grow more concerned with every passing second, Bruce couldn't help but feel sorry for the thunder-god. Even he found his own patience dwindling by Tony's and Natasha's staring match.

Finally, after several minutes, Bruce had had enough. He stood from his seat beside Tony, drawing Natasha's attention onto himself and away from the confrontational stubborn billionaire.

"Listen, we don't really – " He started.

"How?" Natasha demanded immediately, her eyes as slits as their gaze shifted between Bruce and Tony, trying to find some difference in behaviour and details perceived now from that before the incident.

Bruce knew that there were several in just their body-language alone, forgetting everything else.

Bruce shifted; once more uncomfortable as he felt his newfound confidence slipping away. It seemed, however, that Tony had finally found his.

"Usually there's an earthquake," Tony began, "but I wouldn't be able to tell as, you know, I was flying and had a god-knows-how-many-pounds green rage-monster slamming me into a brick building at the time," He shrugged nonchalantly and crossed his arms, giving Natasha a look.

Bruce wasn't exactly able to decipher Tony's looks, but whichever this one was, it didn't seem to be one that would bode well for the engineer if continued.

"Tony," Bruce sighed, "please stop making Freaky Friday references. I think she gets the point."

Tony shrugged in response, emitting a sense of complete ease… which only made Bruce even more conscious of their condition.

Bruce really wished he had Tony's confidence and easy-going nature.

Tony's behaviour, however, puzzled Bruce. The engineer had to be an incredible bluffer to act so nonchalant with the presence of the Other Guy, and his accompanying rage, persistent and continual at the back of his mind.

"So is this why the Hulk made an appearance earlier?" Natasha's tone was casual and disinterested, apparently recovered from her previous shock.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I do not understand," Thor interrupted before anyone had time to answer Natasha's question. He was frowning, his arms crossed – a defensive position he often took when he felt out of his depth – and Bruce felt bad for keeping Thor in the dark.

"No worries, Point Brake. Neither do we." Tony said with a flip of his hand, and recognition flashed in Thor's eyes before he merely arched an eyebrow.

And Bruce was impressed.

Despite what everyone thought of Thor, the man was smart. His only problem was that it was often being overshadowed by his Norse brutishness, and the fact that this world, and everything in it, was alien to him.

And while the god's reaction was strange, bordering onto bizarre, Bruce, after some thought, understood the reasoning. Thor was an alien and no stranger to magic and trickery. This was probably not even a fraction of some of the things he'd no doubt seen pulled on Asgard.

"I see you've gotten yourself into quite a predicament my friends," He remarked, his tone amused.

"I'm afraid so." Bruce cut in before Tony had the chance to come up with some sort offhanded offensive reply.

Thor leaned against the far wall, "At least my brother is not to blame for _this_ disaster." He intoned with a sigh.

Everyone gave him a questioning look, which he only answered with a shrug.

"I must admit, I find this hard to believe," Natasha admitted, "but I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. How, exactly, did this happen?"

"Your guess is as good as ours; but hey, if we're pointing fingers, I suggest you consult with Sabrina the teenage witch," Tony chimed, picking at the seams of the hospital gown some brave idiot had managed to force him into while unconscious.

"If we could find her, we would, but she's off our radar and not my main-priority at the moment," Natasha retorted, giving Tony another glare.

Bruce, fearing that this might result in another staring-match or something worse, was quick to intervene before anything got out of hand.

"I don't remember much." He was quick to input, drawing Natasha and Tony's attention away from each other, "In fact, I don't remember anything at all, if I'm to be honest; but doesn't it seem a bit strange? What could possibly have come out of this?"

"Confusion. Chaos. Or maybe the spell didn't work as she intended."

"You think it's a possibility that just Tony was the target?"

"Possibly." Natasha allowed, "Stark is an influential figure with multiple government and Wall Street organizations, and he has an excess of resources at his disposal: the suit, the tower, money, power."

"'Switching bodies' would also give access to SHIELD, SI, the Tower, the Avengers, and highly classified documents that would otherwise be completely unobtainable." Natasha realized quite suddenly what an excellent idea such a plot would be, and was quietly impressed by the initiative, if not the execution.

Tony's mouth twisted in a grimace, "I am actually in the room, Agent Romanoff, even if I don't look it."

"Such would be impossible to forget, Stark; and your inputs would be so greatly appreciated if they weren't laced with badly concealed sarcasm." Natasha countered with a roll of her eyes before giving Tony her deadliest 'don't mess with me' glare.

Thor's laugh echoed throughout the room thereby completely ruining the effect.

"So," Natasha turned back to Bruce, brushing Tony from her mind, "What precisely happened to you when you woke up? Was there anything at all unusual?"

He smiled humorlessly, "You mean except waking up as Tony? No. No, I woke up, realized what had happened, and then ran straight to your location... and Tony," Bruce directed back to the pouting billionaire, twisting his fingers nervously, "Pepper called. You should probably talk to her before she has a heart-attack."

Bruce barely heard Tony's groan as he remembered back to his waking earlier that day. His explanation had been incredibly simplified, but the details of his awakening were boring and maybe slightly embarrassing.

Bruce didn't mention that after he had woken up - finding himself on a bed, completely alone, in an unfamiliar medical bay - and after had taken his usual deep calming breaths to quell the post-Hulk emotions, the shock of concern at finding them blaringly absent, and the moment of panic when he realized that so was the Other Guy.

Bruce tried to calm down using the breathing exercises he had learned years ago, when he'd still had very minimal control of Hulk, and after a few minutes, just when his racing heart had steadied, a phone sounded off. The tune of Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man' echoed loudly in the empty room.

Quickly jumping into action, Bruce grabbed the cell from the nightstand placed near the bed. Without checking the caller ID, he flipped it open and immediately regretted his rash decision as a woman's voice began screeching loudly and rapidly at the other end.

"Oh my god, Tony! Are you alright? No, wait. Don't answer that. Steve told me what happened. You could have died! Do you know how worried I've been?" Pepper, Bruce realized belatedly, snorted and continued, "Of course you do, you just don't care."

Bruce blinked, trying to collect himself for an appropriate answer to the conversation, but came up blank.

He squirmed a bit on the top of his bed, feeling like he was intruding on something private as Tony's girlfriend continued to yell at him about how worried she'd been, how Tony was only human but an idiot, how Tony could very well die to his carelessness, how Pepper had been fielding reporters all day since the accident, why Tony couldn't just call her, and she had to go now and clean up messes made by childish billionaires, but try not to get into anymore trouble, Tony.

"But Ms. Potts, I'm-"

"And stay alive, and be careful, you have a meeting on Friday – don't forget, and the relevant paperwork is in your workshop waiting to be signed, and I'll see you as soon I can, okay? Bye. And don't forget to eat something."

"But, I'm no-"

And then there was a dial tone in Bruce's ear and the line went dead.

Bruce blinked, pulled the phone from his ear, and stared, perplexed, at the little device in his hands for several seconds before he realized that Pepper had not once stopped to ask who it was she was talking to.

With a sigh he put the phone back on the nightstand.

It was strange, but he didn't give it much thought as his mind returned back to the Other Guy and what had happened to him. Now that he wasn't in a state of panic or in the presence of an overly anxious woman, he was able to reassess the situation and his surroundings.

Bruce had to know why he was no longer sharing thinking-space with Hulk; but perhaps he should first figure out where he was, and where, exactly, the others were.

Usually he woke up with at least one or two of his team-mates nearby so that they could release him from the Cage as soon as possible; and maybe try to help him calm down if there was any need for such. This time, however, he was alone and though that was strange, waking up in a bed, for once, was a welcoming change.

Sitting up was painful. His muscles were sore, and he could have sworn that at least one rib was cracked; even if he knew such was impossible as the Other Guy prevented any kind of injury that might have been inflicted unto him.

Bruce stretched, his arms high above his head, but the aching twinge in his chest wouldn't go away. Puzzled, Bruce looked down and felt his breath hitch.

His mind went into overdrive for any possible explanation, but his emotions, which he usually kept under a tight leash, got the better of him. Bruce started to hyperventilate.

There, protruding from his chest, was the arc reactor. Its blue light illuminated clearly through the thin white shirt he was wearing.

"Oh my god," Bruce managed between breaths. "Oh god."

He started to feel lightheaded as his breathing got progressively worse, and he keeled forward to rest his head in his hands…. which was when Bruce actually _noticed _his hands.

They were full of blemishes and scars, much like his own hands actually; but they were smaller, more petite. It wasn't a word he had ever associated with himself before now.

Taking a deep breath which rattled his whole frame, he ran his hands over his face, noticing for the first time the well-shaped goatee and the different shapes and angles which had replaced his own features.

"Oh no. No, no, no, no, no." He moaned and grabbed his hair, which was shorter and rougher.

Everything was off. His face, his hair, his hands, his body...

In a panic, Bruce stumbled out of bed, but didn't get more than two steps before he fell over himself. He forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to calm down just enough to be rational about this. After a few seconds just lying there, on the floor, breathing, he picked himself up, but this time he grabbed onto the bed frame for support.

It was the legs, Bruce noticed. He wasn't used to legs so short.

Bruce managed to get into the bathroom without too much stumbling, and he let out a relieved breath when he finally reached his destination.

It would take time getting used to all these changes.

He hoped he wouldn't have to though.

Steadying himself, Bruce made his way over to the small mirror above the sink. He feared what he might find there, even though he already suspected what he might see reflected. The evidence was blindingly obvious after all, and Bruce was no idiot.

Nonetheless, when he finally reached the mirror and got a proper look, it was like the world around him crumbled, and Bruce's stomach was flopping violently as he stared at the wide-eyed reflection of Tony Stark.

Things were a bit of a blur after that.

He remembered running past Clint and Steve as he escaped the small room he had woken up in. Bruce didn't doubt for a second that they were on their way to see Tony, but he didn't have time to explain when he didn't even really understand it himself.

So Bruce just flew past them at a speed he didn't even know the engineer was capable of.

Their protests were barely heard as he flung himself into the next right corridor and down the hallway which would lead towards the Hulk's cage.

He remembered bristling with tension as the doors slid open, revealing the chaotic scene before him as if in slow-motion. Natasha and Thor stood by the cage, but Bruce didn't pay them any mind as he stared at the person behind the Hulk-proof glass.

It was him. But it wasn't.

And the person who was in control of his body seemed to have very little control over the Hulk.

He stood frozen as he watched the horrid transformation that he had so often had undergone, but had never witnessed. He could hear bones breaking and resetting themselves. He could see light brown skin turn green and get stretched as muscles grew and bulged under ripping clothes.

The Hulk roared in uncontrolled fury and rage. The sound was beyond inhumanity, and Bruce had only heard of something similar just once, with the Abomination. It rattled his bones, and snapped him out of his frozen state.

"TONY!"

His voice, now so unfamiliar and strange, echoed throughout the room, but was still drowned out by angry thrashing and shouts as the Hulk raged, leaving Tony dead to the world.

Bruce had refused to leave Tony, even as the Hulk, alone after that; and left no explanation to either Natasha or Fury as they questioned him about it later. Soon enough, they, along with Thor, left him with Tony; who, after an hour and a half, had finally de-Hulked.

Bruce had Tony transferred to a different room than the Hulk-cage. There were objections, of course, about leaving Tony, who they thought was Bruce, unsupervised, in a normal room, and alone with Bruce, who they thought was Tony; but after much discussion and convincing, Bruce had managed to sway Fury.

"Because placing him back into the cage is going to make him such a bundle of joy when he wakes, don't you think?" He'd snarked, playing up his best Tony impression.

And Bruce had wanted to tell them the truth. He had wanted to feel the anger he hadn't let himself feel properly for years, and use it to shout that he wasn't Tony and this was all some sort of cheap magic-trick and a big misunderstanding.

But he'd feared the outcome of such an action, and though Natasha and Thor may believe him now, and might've even back then; when he'd stumbled into the room like some sort of madman, it was really everyone else he was worried about.

That's why they had to keep it a secret.


	3. Chapter 3

**So sorry for the wait! This has been on my computer for ages, but I didn't finish it before now; again I'm so sorry! This chapter is not very interesting and is more of a filler chapter, but it deals with some stuff that's important to get the story going. ENJOY!**

* * *

After getting clearance with SHIELD, Tony was permitted to go back to the Tower with the rest of the Avengers.

The day had went by in a sluggish pace in the small room he'd been confided in after hulking out and it had been a relief when Fury grudgingly let him and Bruce go after Natasha insisted that there was nothing out of the ordinary wrong with them.

Tony had been quick to confided himself to the workshop and was currently tinkering with the armour which had gotten badly treated by SHIELD after he and Bruce had been knocked out by the fucking witch that had caused this mess.

He heard the Hulk in the back of his mind, growling warningly at him. He flinched and took a moment to collect himself.

There were many things he had discovered about Bruce Banner in the short time he'd spent as him, but the worst realisation was when he'd discovered how painful it was to be him. Not only mentally straining, but also on a physical level. Every time anger seemed to surface within him it burned in his muscles and very bones. And as the Hulk threatened to come out, it was as if he was rattling the mental wards until Tony felt dizzy and lightheaded.

Why he hadn't hulked out a second time was only sheer force of will and his ability to handle stressful situations under pressure. His self-imposed confinement, however, was breaking his concentration and control and Tony considered going back up to the others as there was a knock on the panel of glass leading into the shop.

"Yes?" He said tentatively without turning, trying to sound as alike to Bruce that he could.

"Hey, it's me,"

Tony stiffened, uncomfortable by Bruce's presence and the man's own obvious discomfort as Bruce stood in the door, wringing his hands.

"Can I come in?" The question was barely heard, Bruce's tone tentative and low.

Tony sighed, "Yeah, come in. I'd hoped I'd get some work done, take my mind off of things, you know, but I –" he halted mid-sentence, for once actually stopping himself to think about what he was about to say.

"You what?"

Tony turned, wanting to be face to face with Bruce as they talked. He quickly realised his mistake when it was his own eyes staring back at him, full of emotion which Tony never had allowed himself to display so openly.

He gulped, "Nothing," The lie rolled off Bruce's tongue like it was his own and he heard Hulk growl at him again, but this time the noise seemed louder and closer and Tony became aware of the actual danger of being here alone with Bruce, who would be smashed to pieces if he didn't keep his cool.

Bruce gave him a nonplussed look, but Tony, worried what that might lead to, was quick to change the subject, "So what did you want?"

The sigh was barely audible, but Tony heard it and was relieved to know that Bruce had let the matter go.

"Tony, we need to talk."

"About...?"

"Don't play stupid Tony; we both know you're not."

The irritated voice was surprising and Tony's eyebrow rose at the sound coming from the man before him wearing his face.

"Alright, so what did you want to talk about?"

"I'd think that much would be obvious,"

"Why Doctor Banner, I've never heard you so annoyed with me before,"

Bruce's shoulders slumped, his voice, _Tony's voice_ taking on a much lighter tone, "I'm sorry, I'm just worried and this is all very confusing."

"Yeah, I hate magic," Tony said and stepped over to Bruce, who gave him a slight smile in return, but otherwise kept silent as he wringed his hands. "So what did you want?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about... Our situation, or more specifically, your situation,"

Tony stared into his own face, watched as Bruce kept a straight face the entire time, the only thing betraying his worry being his eyes. Tony hadn't known that his eyes were that big, but he had never really bothered to study them before now either. He shuddered inwardly and brushed past Bruce so he didn't have to look at the man wearing his face.

"Okay,"

He slid towards the stairs, knowing the man would follow him. Being in the lab, though maybe one of the more secure places in the Tower, was not safe enough to discuss the matter of their current predicament. The reason he had gone there in the first place was to take his mind off of things, but his concentration kept being interrupted by the Hulk, which only served to frustrate him and fuel Hulk's anger.

Bruce kept silent as Tony lead them through several hallways and up to the very top of the Tower, where Tony knew very few of the others ventured, except perhaps Thor on a stormy night or Clint when the archer felt particularly sneaky. And of course Pepper, but there was a time and place for everything, and thinking about _that_ were doing things to Bruce's body which Tony had no right nor desire to feel.

Tony opened the double doors to the bedroom and entered, ignoring JARVIS's voice asking for their attendance down in the leisure areas.

"You can come in. I don't have bedbugs or any other questionable creatures living in my mattress, if that's what you're worried about." Tony called out to Bruce who was still standing hesitantly in the doorway.

The other man obeyed his request and as the door shut behind him, he looked warily around him as if he was checking the room for any intruders. Old habits obviously died hard.

"Why are we here?" Bruce asked eventually, taking a seat onto the couch pushed against the wall facing the door.

Tony, taking note of Bruce's apparent distress, shrugged, "I thought that it was less likely that one of the others would interrupt us up here. If they came looking for us the obvious place to check first would be the lab after all."

The tension in Bruce's shoulders seemed to ease a little at this, "I suppose you're right," he said with a small smile, and Tony welcoming the closest thing to a normal conversation they'd had all day, grinned.

"Why Doctor Banner, you're sounding mildly surprised,"

"And you aren't?"

"I'm hurt, Bruce, I truly am. You might as well start questioning my maths while you're at it."

The relaxed face Bruce had been sporting quickly turned sombre again as he said, "Well, it's not your maths people are going to question any more, is it,"

"Oh, your maths is perfectly fine, don't worry about it,"

"No, Tony, I can't not worry about it." Bruce was suddenly up and walking, pacing around the room while wringing his hands together again. If the good doctor kept this up Tony wouldn't be able to use his hands for anything when he got them back.

Tony didn't think his body had ever had to handle so much guilt and worry the other man was practically oozing with right now, except perhaps, during Afghanistan and when Pepper was concerned.

He watched himself move about, occasionally pausing and opening his mouth as if to say something, only to continue his pacing 3 seconds later. Finally, Bruce stopped and gave Tony a look the latter only could describe as cold and scrutinizing.

Tony was about to crack a joke about how much Bruce or you know, himself, looked like Natasha when he looked like that, when Bruce said, "How can you be so calm about this?"

_So that's what's bothering him, _Tony thought, "Well, I'm not, but I kind of have to, you know,"

Bruce flinched, the guilt on his face even more obvious than before, "I'm sorry,"

For some reason this annoyed Tony more than anything else since he had woken up in bed on the Hellcarrier. "Will you quit apologising? Seriously, it's not your fault; it's that fucking bitch's who did this to us!"

It was as if something inside of him shifted and Tony sucked in a breath as he heard, or rather felt, the Hulk push at the mental barrier which kept him locked inside.

He quickly backed away from Bruce, who had paled, but had went after him as he begun muttering comforting, useless words which held little meaning to Tony as he struggled to keep conscious and not succumb to the overwhelming feelings of anger, hurt and guilt that seemed to consume him.

The worst part though was probably that he didn't even know why he felt that way.

He slides to the floor, his fingers curling from pain and for some reason his dulled mind notes that he has managed to corner himself, which only served to upset the Hulk, who growled defensively.

His breath became laboured, making Tony dizzy and nauseous as he keeps the onslaught of unwelcome emotions at bay, and thereby the Other Guy who seems to be trashing more and more violently by the second.

Someone is gripping his arm and calling out to him and Tony tries to concentrate on the voice rather than the constant pain and racket the Hulk made in his head.

"Tony! You have to remember to breathe! Shit, breathe for fuck's sake! Yes, that's right, oxygen is good for you, just breathe and keep calm,"

_Bruce_, Tony vaguely thought as he felt the constricting muscles, which he hadn't even been aware of flexing, relaxed and the Hulk settle back into the darker parts of his mind.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me to carry on, do you?" Tony wheezed when he finally found it within himself to talk again.

Bruce, wonderful Bruce, snorted, but the worry and guilt didn't leave his eyes.

Tony knew the man was practically dying to apologise again, but also knew that Bruce didn't want to risk having another incident in such a rapid succession with the previous one. Or anyone at all, but nobody's perfect and Tony certainly wasn't.

"And what do you mean oxygen is good for me? What, 'you want to put me in a coma? I thought you were a doctor, Banner,"

Bruce sighed, "Not a medical doctor," his tone suggested that this was not the first, or even the tenth time he had to relay this information, but had given up trying to make Tony remember otherwise.

Just as Tony was about to reply, JARVIS's voice broke in, "Sirs, Mr. Rogers is requesting your presences in the dining room. He also informed me to tell you that if you didn't get down in less than three minutes he would give Mr. Odinson free access to your lab,"

Tony paled, thinking about how much damage Thor would be able to make of his precious haven.

Bruce laughed, properly, for the first time that day and took Tony by the wrists to haul him up from the floor.

The engineer stumbled along with Bruce, the two of them completely miscalculating their own strengths as they both got to their feet only to topple over each other and landing in an awkward heap back on the floor.

"Hey, give a guy a warning, will you? You could at least have put up a sign or something,"

The two scientists jumped apart, one of them blushing furiously and the other giving Clint, who was casually leaning in the doorway, an annoyed look.

Clint smirked, "Why Stark, I didn't know you were capable of blushing,"

Tony felt himself getting annoyed. He usually appreciated Barton's good-natured humour and wit, but right now it only made Bruce uncomfortable and that was just not acceptable since he was now sporting his face.

"We were afraid you wouldn't get the hot scientific action, Barton. Birds for brains and all that; but you're more than welcome to join us next time if you promise not to try rinsing our feathers afterwards,"

He hadn't really intended to sound so smug, hadn't intended to sound or say anything in fact and he realised his mistake as he caught sight of Clint's stunned face and Bruce covering his own with his hands.

"So, uh... Yeah, Steve wants you downstairs ASAP," Clint hesitated in the door before he left, casting a last look over his shoulder at the two of them before he disappeared around the corner.

"Smooth," Was all Bruce said and brushed past Tony, clearly embarrassed on his own behalf.

Tony groaned, suddenly very aware of who he was supposed to be as he watched his own retreating back walk briskly around the corner.

"Great. Well done, Stark," he muttered as he grudgingly followed his own body to the lower floors where the rest of the Avengers were gathered.

He felt Clint and Natasha's eyes on him as he entered and despite himself and Bruce's bigger frame he suddenly felt very small. He hunched over a bit, trying to hide from the scrutinizing looks and making himself as inconspicuous as possible.

Shuffling into the room, he sat himself down beside Bruce, ignoring Steve's disapproving look in their direction.

"Good, everyone's here," he said, slipping into the Captain America-mindset Tony knew the man was so very proud of. Steve then proceeded to talk about the usual – mainly their latest mission. Tony usually zoned out for these because firstly, he already knew the details and secondly, he had been there for fuck's sake, he didn't need to know that he had been smashed into a building by a little girl.

_Metal Man is loud. Thinks he is so smart._

Tony's head shot up in surprise, joints cracking loudly, causing everyone to stare at him with various degrees of worry. Those looks were certainly something Tony Stark was not used to.

"Dr. Banner, are you alright?" Steve asked him, and again Tony got a funny feeling that had nothing to do with the Hulk.

"I'm fine," he muttered, keeping his eyes on the floor while clenching his finger into the soft material of the couch he and Bruce was sitting on. Steve gave him one of those puppy eyed looks, which always served to annoyed the hell out of Tony, before droning on about whatever, completely oblivious to Tony's distress.

Taking a large gulp of air he tried to remember if Bruce had ever told him anything about controlling the Hulk, but all he could remember were some few breathing exercises and meditation, but those were certainly a bit too suspicious to use in a living room full of the earth's mightiest heroes. The fact that he began imagining what would happen to everyone if he did actually hulk out did nothing to help him calm down and soon enough he was sure that he was about to tear the soft material of the couch, seams and all.

"Captain, maybe we should take the rest of the day to recuperate. It's been a very trying day for some of us after all."

Tony's head shot up, catching Natasha's eyes, before she looked back at Steve who was standing there, a dumbstruck look on his face.

"Uhm, yeah sure, okay." Steve said, seemingly a bit bummed that no one seemed particularly interested in another mission.

With a last look in their direction Natasha ventured out of the room with the others, leaving Bruce and Tony alone in the living room.

Tony felt a hand on top of his own which was clutching onto the couch, carefully prying the fingers off the soft material. He clutched onto the hand while waiting for his heart to stop hammering in his chest until he finally felt the Hulk gave a final annoyed grumble before becoming completely silent again.

He fell back onto the sofa in a tangled heap of limbs, one arm over his eyes as he realised how exhausted he felt.

"You okay?" his own asked him and Tony lifted his arm and glanced over at Bruce, whose face was again lined with concern.

He shadowed his eyes again with his arm, "How do you deal with this? With him, the Hulk?"

Bruce expression turned completely blank, as if no one had ever asked him that question before. He refrained from answering for a couple of seconds before he settled on, "I don't, really. I mean, I cope, and I deal with it, but the other guy is not something you ever get used to I think. And I don't want to, because that'd mean that I would have had accepted that he's just another part of me I can't get rid of, you know?"

Tony nodded, because he thought he understood. It was in many ways like the arc reactor, except that it didn't threaten to kill everything around it, just him.

He heaved a sigh, and rose from the couch, "I need you to teach me,"

Bruce, who seemed to have been deep in thought, gave him a confused look, a frown etched onto his face, "What?"

"I need you to teach me how to control the Hulk."


End file.
